Corticotropin-releasing factor and GABA in the ventral tegmental area modulate partner preference formation in male and female prairie voles ().

Introduction: The mesolimbic reward system is associated with the promotion and rewarding benefits of social relationships. In the socially monogamous prairie vole (), the establishment of a pair bond can be displayed by a robust preference for a breeding partner and aggressive rejection of unfamiliar conspecifics. Mesolimbic dopamine signaling influences bond-related behaviors within the vole through dopamine transmission and receptor activity in the nucleus accumbens.